LOS ANGELES LeBron James had a message to deliver before the Los Angeles Lakers tipped off Monday night, and Luka Doncic made his debut for the team that traded for him and then waited for the 25-year-old basketball prodigy to make his lineup appearance. The team also had a passionate fan base.
James yelled, “Luka, be your f—ing self,” during the pregame huddle, which was broadcast on ESPN. “Rather than fitting in, fit the f— out. . Be authentic.
After booking a 132-113 victory over the Utah Jazz, his first game action in the purple and gold shirt, Doncic was candid about the experience.
After playing for the first time since Christmas Day with the Dallas Mavericks and scoring 14 points in 24 minutes, Doncic remarked, “It just feels amazing for him to say something like that.” “I feel more confident now. And I had chills after that speech. Just being a part of it made me joyful. It wasn’t just him who was grinning.
With 18,997 gold No. 77 T-shirts lining the seats, Doncic’s favourite Serbian music blasting from the sound system as he fired deep warmup threes, and supporters holding up their phones to record his every move, the mood at Crypto.com Arena was jubilant. Dirk Nowitzki, Doncic’s former running partner from the Mavs, was in the stands with Doncic’s father, Saša, to support him, as his final season in the league was Doncic’s first.
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Austin Reaves remarked, “He came out… and the place went crazy,” “It was fantastic. From then on, I felt the energy was fantastic. One of the loudest introductions I’ve heard since being here was when he was put in the starting lineup.
Additionally, James encouraged his new teammate there by emailing the 6-foot-6 guard earlier in the day to promise to comply with Doncic’s requests. Thus, Lawrence Tanter, the Lakers’ public address announcer, kept Doncic for last, a move typically designated for James, as he reeled off L.A.’s starters.
“He let me have my moment, so I appreciate it,” stated Doncic. He lent me this one today, after all. However, he will be the last from now on.
Doncic, playing for the first time in almost seven weeks due to a strained left calf muscle, quickly impacted the game by finding centre Jaxson Hayes for an alley-oop dunk just 50 seconds in.
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“I was a little bit nervous before,” Doncic acknowledged. “I don’t remember ever experiencing anxiety prior to a game. But once I went on the court, I like it. And it was great to be outside again.
Even though he was on a minute limit and his shooting was rusty (he went 5-for-14, including 1-for-7 from three), Doncic clicked with his new teammates right away.
Doncic’s half-court outlet pass to James, which created an open layup and put the Lakers ahead by 22 points, capped off a dominant first half for L.A.
Lakers coach JJ Redick remarked, “I thought our three main guys did a nice job of playing off of each other,” referring to James, Doncic, and Reaves. “A game can occasionally have agendas. Beyond winning a basketball game and playing properly, I thought this was a game without any objective for our bunch.
Reaves had four assists, nine rebounds, and twenty-two points. With 24 points, eight assists, 7 rebounds, and seven turnovers, James led all scorers. He left the game early in the fourth quarter due to a collision in the lane, and he only told a few reporters that he would see them in Salt Lake City on Wednesday for the Lakers’ next game.
That game would be L.A.’s final before the All-Star break, and Redick stated that “the plan” would be for both Doncic and James to play.
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L.A. jumped ahead of the Houston Rockets for No. 4 in the Western Conference standings by winning for the 12th time in 14 games, leading by as many as 34 points, and refusing to let the excitement of the evening or the challenge of getting Doncic into the lineup slow down their momentum.
As he recovered from a calf strain, Luka Doncic watched the Lakers defeat the Clippers, Golden State Warriors, and Indiana Pacers from the sidelines. “Since I came here, I just wanted to play with them,” he said. “Every game I saw, they played amazing, very connected, and for me, it was just I want to be there with them.”
After the game, Luka Doncic was embraced by Lakers general manager and vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka as he walked from the tunnel to the locker room. Doncic initially came to Los Angeles thanks to Pelinka’s successful deal with the Mavs.
“The team is new. “New everything,” stated Doncic. However, how my teammates, Rob, [Lakers CEO and governor Jeanie Buss], and others supported me was helpful. As you can see, I noticed every Luka jersey when I arrived at the arena. It was simply an unreal sensation.
